Cars and Parts

After It Arrives In New Zealand

Once a vehicle has been imported into New Zealand, it must be border-checked,
certified, registered and licensed for use on the road. This information from the
NZTA explains the process.

All used light vehicles entering New Zealand for the first time must go through
the following process before they can be used on the road.

This procedure is the same whether the vehicle is imported for sale or for the personal
use of the owner.

Step 1: Vehicle arrives in New Zealand
The vehicle goes through a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) quarantine
inspection on the wharf. A border inspector also checks the vehicle (called the
'border check') and records the following details:

- the vehicle's identity (ie, VIN/chassis number, make, model)
- the identity of the importer of the vehicle
- the odometer reading at the time of the check
- any obvious significant damage or deterioration (damage that is merely cosmetic
will not be recorded)
- whether the vehicle is right-hand drive or left-hand drive.
- MAF send the information to the Transport Registry Centre (part of Land Transport
NZ) for recording on the LANDATA database. You should allow 48 hours for the information
to be recorded. (This information is needed to register the vehicle.)

MAF invoice the importer for each vehicle, to cover the cost of the border check
and quarantine inspection.

What happens if the vehicle is damaged or deteriorated?
If the vehicle is identified by MAF as being structurally damaged or deteriorated,
this is recorded on LANDATA and a label is put on the vehicle to show it is structurally
damaged. You might decide repairs are not justified and look for alternative uses
for the vehicle â€” eg, for parts.

What happens after the border check?
After the border check, the vehicle must clear Customs. The New Zealand Customs
Service holds the vehicle until all Customs requirements are met. Contact Customs
for details and costs.

After clearing Customs, the vehicle is released to the importer.

Dealers and repairers who have the right to use a trade plate may drive an uncertified
vehicle on a conditional permit (an 'Annex B') before taking it to an entry certifier.
If you're a private importer, however, you will need to have the vehicle transported
to an entry certifier by other means (eg, on a trailer, transported or towed). This
is because you cannot drive it on the road until it has passed the entry certification,
registration and licensing process and been issued with a WoF.
Entry certifiers are not available in every part of New Zealand.

- Some vehicles may be classed by Customs as prohibited imports (eg, because of
tampering with the odometer). As a condition of import approval, Customs may impose
a requirement that the vehicle be sold for parts. If this happens, the vehicle cannot
be registered for use on the road.

Step 2: Vehicle reaches an entry certifier
If the vehicle already has a VIN when it enters New Zealand, the VIN is decoded
by the entry certifier. It is the vehicle owner's responsibility to provide the
information (available from the vehicle manufacturer) that enables the VIN to be
decoded.

If the vehicle doesn't have a VIN, it is verified through other vehicle identifiers
(such as the chassis number) and the entry certifier issues it with a VIN.

The VIN is recorded on LANDATA so the vehicle can be tracked through the certification
and registration process. The entry certifier then starts to certify the vehicle
for registration.

Step 3: The certification process
The entry certifier checks the documents that prove the vehicle meets the necessary
legal requirements (see Infosheet 1.67) and also thoroughly inspects the vehicle.
The vehicle may need some work done on it to ensure it complies with New Zealand
law.

If the vehicle complies with all the legal requirements, the entry certifier issues
form MR 2A (Application to register a motor vehicle). The entry certifier invoices
the importer for the cost of certification.

What is the certification process for structurally damaged or deteriorated vehicles?
Structural damage or deterioration to a vehicle may have been recorded at the border
check or could be discovered later, by the entry certifier. The vehicle may need
to be repaired before it can be certified for registration.

The entry certifier is responsible for deciding whether a specialist repair certifier
needs to inspect any repairs that were carried out before the vehicle was imported,
to ensure they have been done correctly. This could involve some disassembly and
additional costs for you. You will need to pay the costs of repair and repair certification,
as well as the cost of entry certification.

A vehicle that is so severely damaged that it is unsuitable for registration, or
has been badly repaired, will not be given a repair certificate or form MR 2A. It
will be released to you and may not, by law, be registered or driven on the road
in New Zealand until it meets all legal requirements.

Modified vehicles
If a light vehicle is significantly modified, the entry certifier must send it to
a low volume vehicle (LVV) certifier for specialist certification. There will be
a charge to you for this, in addition to the cost of entry certification. The LVV
certifier will inspect the vehicle and issue it with a modification plate before
it is returned to the entry certifier.

Is a separate WoF or CoF inspection necessary?
No. A light vehicle that is certified for registration is automatically entitled
to a warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF). The WoF or CoF will
run from the certification date.

Step 4: After certification
When the vehicle has been certified (ie, when the MR 2A has been issued), you may
register and license it so it can be driven legally on New Zealand roads.

If the vehicle is not registered within two years, its entry certification will
lapse and it will need to be reinspected and recertified before it can be registered
and licensed.

The importer/owner must be
able to prove that they are legally entitled to the vehicle.
The importer/owner must provide all documents that prove ownership of the vehicle
(eg, bills of sale, purchase receipts etc).The ownership trail must go back to the
previous registered owner of the vehicle in the country where the vehicle was last
registered before it was imported into New Zealand. Visit this site...